EC rejects registration of Communist Party

politics March 21, 2018 01:00

By The Nation

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THE ELECTION Commission (EC) has decided not to allow the registration of a Communist Party of Thailand because its stated ideology and policies “go against” the Political Parties Act, the agency’s top official said yesterday.

Jarungvith Phumma, the EC’s caretaker secretary-general, who also serves as the political party registrar, said every citizen had the constitutional right to set up a political party, but that right had to be exercised under relevant laws.

He added that judging from relevant clauses in the Political Parties Act, the proposed party was in conflict with Thailand’s current political system of constitutional monarchy.

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The EC informed the people applying to register the Communist Party of Thailand that the agency could not do so because of legal restrictions, Jarungvith said.

“However, the decision does not deprive them of the right to apply for registration of a political party under a new name,” he added.

Meanwhile, Constitution Drafting Commission chairman Meechai Ruchupan said yesterday the political party registrar did not do anything wrong in rejecting the application for the party’s registration.

Meechai said the EC had to consider whether the proposed party’s objectives violated the law, although the country had rescinded a law banning communism.